Thursday, November 02, 2006
You Were Right, I Was Wrong
Ok readers. You were right. You were all right. And I was wrong. I complained, I bitched, I moaned, I shelled out hundreds and hundreds of dollars because I didn’t want to give up....and you were all right while I was wrong.
I have a new car now.
Yes.
You see? I do listen. Ok, so it takes me awhile and I fight and push and shove and try to bring you around to my way of thinking and there you are, thinking, “Why do I bother, she doesn’t listen?” but I do and I have.
Yesterday I sold my old car and signed over my life for a new one. The idea of making car payments again scares the shit out of me. The idea of not owning absolutely everything that I use or touch brings me night sweats and anxieties. (Ok, not that bad but it’s not comfortable for me.) The thought that anything can happen and I could end up losing it all again does keep me up far longer than necessary sometimes though.
I’ve been down the road of owing on something and things happened and everything went to pot and it was all highly unpleasant. But...I lived. I survived. And maybe I can do it again. The last time I didn’t own, outright, was 7 years ago. Do the math, I’m not going ot mention again what happened seven years ago because I’m sure we are all sick of hearing about it as much as I’m sick of writing about or even thinking about it.
What happened after that incident...the fall out, was a huge turning point in my life. I had decided that although the incident itself was not my fault, it WAS my fault that I didn’t own everything and that from there on out, I would not put anything on credit again. Because? Well, things can and do happen.
But I’ve bit the bullet and faced my fears and have signed on the dotted line on page after page after page agreeing not to fuck up until all is paid off. And I will cross my fingers and pray and hope that nothing will prevent me from doing so. But what is life if you don’t take risks, right?
So, I took your advice...pieces from one, pieces from another and compiled them all into a successful, (please God!), transaction.
This is what happened:
I took my old car to a Circuit City to have the stereo removed because I knew that the stereo was worth more than I would get for the car and I simply could not see the logic in releasing that with the car.
I then took my car to CarMax and prayed they would buy it. They did. I didn’t get a hell of a lot but I did get it out of my name, out of my life, no more troubles with it, no more endless trips to the mechanics, no more sleepless nights worrying how to come up with the money to fix it....no more. I liked that car....but it was time to move on. As someone said to me, “I had it, I enjoyed it and now it’s time to get rid of it and move on.” Those words have been my mantra through the whole thing and have made the process easier.
Then I went to the car dealer I had been checking out and purchased a car I had test driven earlier, ran a CarFax report on, checked the Kelly Blue Book pricing on and made the deal. It was a really good deal, actually. And the car dealer has turned out to be a really stand up guy. I know that sounds unbelievable but he really is a good, honest, hard working person and he has made me not just feel but know that he wants me back as a customer, that he stands behind what he sells, that his reputation means everything to him and that he will do whatever it takes to help me out. He is not your normal car dealer by a long shot. This guy gives a damn. I won’t tell you everything he did for me but know that he went way above and beyond and he absolutely will have a loyal customer for life because of it. Period. No further discussion.
And now I have a new car that I don’t have to worry about. It is only two years old, has low miles, is in excellent condition, has three years left (or 70,000 miles) on its warranty PLUS, it is registered under CarFax’s “buy back” guarantee PLUS I have Gap coverage, (car dealer insisted on it and let me tell you, from past experience when I did not have this....nor did I even know that existed, I’m thankful he threw it in there), and he got me really good insurance rates that I was unable to find on my own.
I drove home yesterday and dealt with the same construction I deal with everyday...sitting there, waiting, waiting, waiting....and do you know how very...so very, very nice it was NOT to worry about the car overheating as I waited, in idle traffic? Do you have any idea the relief that washed over me knowing that I would not need to stress and worry when traffic backed up? That I wouldn’t hear my fan sputtering along, I wouldn’t see the overheat light come on, I wouldn’t see coolant spill out all over the parking lot when I got out and that my a/c wouldn’t blow out on me? Do you know what a relief it was to go over bumps and holes in the road and not have it sound like my car was going to fall apart? Do you know what a relief it was to know that I could make it to work and not have something fall apart or break on my way to work or home? To know that the chances of me being stranded on the side of the road, waiting for a fucking tow truck AGAIN, were extremely slim? Do you know what a relief it was to realize that even though the battery needed to be replaced, I didn’t have to pay a damn dime because it’s under warranty? That if something goes wrong, I’m UNDER WARRANTY!!!!! Do you have any idea what a monumental relief this has all been?
And it’s all because of you guys. You have all given me sound, wonderful advice. Some of you have done more for me than I can believe....helping me out so much through all of this....and that is why I’m here to tell you, you were right, I was stubborn.
So...my thank you list:
Jeffro: For telling me the reality and not just what I wanted to hear. For suggesting a new car all along. For continuing to suggest it even though you knew you would be met with resistance. Your words did not fall on deaf ears.
Kristine: For the idea about where to go for a loan. In the end the car dealer actually got me a better deal but I went where you said to go, got approved and that gave me the confidence to go in and even try to buy a car.
Amanda: When someone suggested I try to get the brand of car you currently own, you were so patient with me, answering all my questions about that kind of car and really put my mind at ease about it.
Jennifer: For suggesting CarMax. While I did not buy my vehicle there, I did check their site and learned that I could sell my old car there. THAT was a HUGE help. HUGE!
A certain someone who will remain anonymous: You, by far, were the biggest help of all. You, like Jeffro, were on me for the longest time about getting a new car. You pointed out many things from the beginning, put it in numbers and in my face and despite the fact that you knew I didn’t want to hear it, you kept at me. You suggested a certain brand to try. You drove me all over creation, taking time out of your day, getting stuck in that horrific traffic, going so far out of your way for me just to help me through all of this. You listened to me and you understood me but kept at me anyway. You gave me things to think about, you shared words of wisdom with me, you gave me your time, you came with me on test drives, you showed me patience...you showed me a lot and you gave me a lot and most of this success in getting a new car is because of you. Without you, this would have been very difficult to accomplish and you made it so much easier. I can’t even come close to thanking you enough for all that you did for me. As I’ve said to you, I truly appreciate it and will never forget it, ever. Every day that I drive that new car, I will thank you.
To all of you not mentioned: I appreciate your support and advice and your well wishes. I appreciate your comments and sharing your own stories, advice, links and your hopes that all turned out well.
It has. It’s scary....but it will all work out and you all were instrumental in that happening. So...thank you, all of you. I really appreciate you guys.
